1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a gaming machine, including a slot machine and a ball-shooting game machine such as a pachinko game machine or a pin-ball game machine, and more particularly to a gaming machine in which profits obtained through plays of a game by players are reconciled with profits to be secured by a chance hall, while increasing the fun of playing the game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In chance halls, such as casinos, where slot machines are installed, and pachinko shops, where ball-shooting game machines and other gaming machines are installed, players as customers generally play games on the gaming machines by the use of gaming media, such as coins as currency, or medals or pin balls (pachinko balls) purchased for cash, and exchange the gaming media acquired through winning plays in the games for predetermined prizes or currency other than the coins corresponding in value to the gaming media.
The probability of winning plays or the ratio of payout (ratio of a total number of medals, pin balls, or the like, acquired by a player through playing the game on a flaming machine, to a total number of medals, pin balls, or the like, put into the gaming machine by the player) is normally set or adjusted by means of setting means, such as switches, to a value less than 100% so as to permit the chance hall side to make profits. Further, to permit the chance hall side to make more profits, there are cases in which the value of each medal or pin ball purchased by the player at the start of the game is not equal to that of the same medal or pin ball exchanged for the prizes or money after the game.
Further, even in gambling houses, i.e. casinos, in which slot machines, poker game machines, and the like are installed, players as customers play games on gaming machines by the use of coins as currency or tokens (substitute currency) exchanged for cash, and are awarded with coins through winning plays in the game, or with the tokens acquired through winning plays in same for exchange for cash. In such gambling houses, the payout ratio of coins or tokens is set to a value less than 100%, usually approximately to 85%.
Further, ball shooting game machines, such as a pachinko game machine and an arrange ball game machine, are known as other gaming machines in which players use gaming media similar to coins. A pachinko game is a kind of pin ball game and well-known itself. One of such ball-shooting game machines is a ball-enclosed type in which playing balls (pachinko balls or pin balls) are enclosed for use in the game, and a player is supplied a predetermined number of playing balls according to the value of the gaming media put into the gaming machine when he starts playing the game. The player plays the game by the use of these playing balls.
More specifically, an effective value, such as the number of coins inserted by the player or the number of permitted plays of the game stored in a prepaid card, is displayed as credit, and the player is permitted to play the game the number of times corresponding to the numerical value of the credit. For example, assuming that twenty playing balls (pin balls enclosed within the pachinko game machine) are supplied per coin put in the gaming machine, when the player has used up these playing balls, one game is over. If there occur winning plays during the game, he receives a number of coins depending on the type of a win as credit, and is permitted to continue the game over the number of times corresponding to the number of coins given as credit. The number of such coins acquired through winning plays in the game is displayed on the machine separately from the numerical value of credit given by coins put into the machine.
However, if the ratio of payout is set to a value less than 100% in the above-mentioned type of gaming machine, although a player can win in succession during the game to some extent, the probability of winning plays is low as a whole, which makes the player uninterested in the game in the course of time. Particularly, in a gaming machine adapted to give a chance of winning a big prize or a so-called big bonus game during which the machine is set to an operating mode quite advantageous to the player, the player's interest is directed to a coming occurrence of the big bonus game. However, the big bonus game, probability of which is determined in accordance of the payout ratio, rarely occurs, which tends to make the player uninterested in the game on the contrary.
Therefore, this can result in a problem of a reduced rate of operation of gaming machines, which is inconvenient to the chance hall. Inversely, if the ratio of payout is increased to improve the ratio of operation of the machines, profits obtained by the chance hall through the games are reduced.
Further, a player also feels disadvantageous, if the value of gaming media purchased when he starts to play the game is not equal to the value of the same exchanged for prizes or money, so that he tends to eventually become uninterested in the game.